De Los Santos, Lentz Take Softball Honors

CORPUS CHRISTI - Thomas De Los Santos of Santa Gertrudis Academy and Calallen's Teresa Lentz will be recognized at the South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet as the 2018 High School Softball Coaches of the Year.
The 15th annual event is set for Thursday, January 24 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Corpus Christi. For tickets, call 361-561-HOOK (4665) or visit the Whataburger Field Box Office.

De Los Santos, tabbed for the third consecutive year as the small-school division softball coach of the year, led the Lions to their first state championship last season. SGA posted a 38-1 record, garnering De Los Santos 3A coach-of-the year honors by the Texas Girls Coaches Association and the Texas Sportswriters Association.
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times named De Los Santos its 2018 All-South Texas Softball Coach of the Year. SGA placed three players on the All-South Texas first team: senior pitcher Saidi Castillo, sophomore outfielder Breanna Carr, and senior utility player Jackie De Los Santos. Castillo, who won all 20 of her decisions, was named the South Texas MVP and Carr took home TGCA all-state acclaim.
Last year marked the Lions' third consecutive appearance in the Class 3A state tournament, and the program's fourth since 2013.
De Los Santos was assisted by Matt Gonzalez, Amy Perez, and Bianca Rocha.
In 2018, Lentz led the Wildcats to their first regional semifinal appearance since 2005, earning her large-school division coach-of-the-year recognition.
Calallen marched to a 23-7 record during the regular season, capturing a share of the District 30-5A title. The Cats swept three playoff series (Floresville, Edcouch-Elsa, and Flour Bluff) before falling to Angleton in the regional semis.
Senior Jessica Johnson (outfield), freshman Avianna Gonzalez (second base), and junior Katherine Flores (utility) earned first-team all-district honors. Senior Ashley Richardson, freshman Madelyn Flores, and sophomore Lizette Del Angel were 30-5A second-teamers.
Flores was hailed as first-team All-South Texas by the Caller-Times after hitting .469 with 19 extra-base hits and 36 RBIs. She was also 6-1 in the pitcher's circle, logging a 1.45 ERA.
Vianca Pesina, Lamar Lopez, Mark Medina, and Stephanie Lugo comprised Lentz's coaching staff.
De Los Santos and Lentz will be joined at the South Texas Winter Baseball by lifetime achievement award winner Don Sanders, the Mike Adams South Texas Pro Player of the Year Mike Franco , area collegiate players of the year, and 60 student athletes from 26 Coastal Bend high schools.
Read more about the preseason high school all-stars. Softball: Small School Division, Large School Division | Baseball: Small School Division, Large School Division